Apple is hiring engineers to work on virtual reality devices

Apple is hiring hardware engineers to work on virtual reality products, 9to5Mac reports.

Job listings have appeared on the Apple website listing positions for Optical Display Engineers, Sr. Display Software Engineers, and other similar roles, which all point towards the development of display and projection systems.

9to5Mac says the job posts almost certainly indicate that Apple is preparing to further delve into the sector. It would be an unsurprising move for the company, given the fact that people tout it as the next tech battleground. It's a subject of much fascination. So much so that The Verge published this nine-page essay/analysis of its future and impact.

Here's one of the Apple job adverts:

It says that candidates must be "experienced in selecting and designing with a variety of display (monitor and projection) technologies." Apple wants people who understand "extremely high fidelity VR environments."

Last year Apple posted job listings to work on virtual reality experiences - the company needed engineers with knowledge of 3D graphics and augmented reality. At the time, 9to5Mac also reported that Apple had filed a US patent for a goggle system. The patent, for a head-mounted display, was for "providing a personal media viewing experience to a user."

If Apple is planning on releasing its own virtual reality headset then it would fall into direct competition with virtual reality gaming technology such as Oculus Rift, and even Microsoft's digital content headwear, Hololens.